


Our Little Talks

by xwlthoughts



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora thinks a random cat is Catra, F/F, Fluff and Angst, POV Adora (She-Ra), Shadow Weaver Sucks, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 14:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20472719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xwlthoughts/pseuds/xwlthoughts
Summary: Bright Moon is starting to feel more and more like the Fright Zone.  Adora feels trapped, and when she can't find solace in Bow and Glimmer, she takes it upon herself to deal with her own issues.  The only place she finds any peace is within the Whispering Woods. . . that is, until she finds what she thinks is a certain someone.Or: Adora finds an injured cat in the Whispering Woods, and she thinks it's Catra in disguise.





	Our Little Talks

“See, Adora? Taking care of the Kingdom while Mom’s away at Mystacore will be a piece of cake. I don’t even know why you’re so on edge.”

Glimmer’s shoulder was pressed up against Adora’s, and her face carried a rather smug expression. Too confident for the blonde’s liking. After remaining there for a moment and seeing no change in her friend’s chiseled exterior, the princess rolled her head back with a groan and stood from her cushioned seat. “See what you’ve done!?” she spoke dramatically, leaving her forearm on her forehead to strike a pose. “Your moodiness is making _me_ moody! What good is a moody queen-in-training?”

“I’m _not_ moody,” Adora scoffed in reply, crossing her arms jaggedly in front of her chest. A short strand of blonde hair fell upon her face, prompting her to sweep it behind her ear with one hand. “I’m being cautious, that’s all. If the Horde figures out Queen Angella’s away from Bright Moon, they will plan an attack. In fact, they probably already are.”

“Yeesh,” Glimmer replied, turning her squinted eyes away from Adora’s. “You know, whenever Mom wasn’t around, Bow and I would get into all sorts of trouble. It’s kind of ecstatic to be in the world on your own for the first time, you don’t have to stress out over it.” She waited for the ex-Horde soldier to respond, but when she got none, she continued.

“I’m sure you’re not a total stranger to the feeling,” she continued briefly, taking her seat once more. “You and Catra were raised by Shadow Weaver, right? It must’ve been _amazing_ to hang out once she was gone.”

As soon as the princess spoke the dark sorceress’ name, Adora flinched, pulling her arms closer to her. Glimmer caught this movement and immediately felt regret for bringing up her mother figure’s name, and gently rested a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I-I’m sorry,” she apologized quietly, shame laced in her tone. “I shouldn’t have brought that up. I just--”

“It’s fine,” Adora replied with a hollow tone, sweeping the princess’ hand away as she stood. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m going to bed, I’ll see you and Bow tomorrow morning.” Within short moments, the blonde vanished into her bedroom, leaving Glimmer open-mouthed and alone in her own.

If Adora was being honest, she hated the pity she picked up on in Glimmer’s tone. The constant care both of her friends had to take to make sure what they said didn’t trigger some sort of trauma in her. . . That was why she often found herself sneaking out of the castle to get some time to herself. It was just that Bright Moon was beginning to feel more and more like the Fright zone with each passing day. She wasn’t traditionally trapped inside the castle walls like she was in the barracks, but because of the recent increase in Horde activity, the guards didn’t want her leaving alone. And that only made her feel more anxious

Okay, sometimes the measures she took in sneaking out was just her being a bit unnecessary-- but she didn’t want Glimmer and Bow to worry about her. They had a lot of things to worry about already, especially with Queen Angella’s absence, and she didn’t want her little prison crisis to be the cherry on top of their pile of bad.

The soft glow of the moon’s eerie light was scattered on top of the twisting knots of the Whispering Woods. Adora brushed her hand against the tree’s cold exterior shell, feeling the rough wooden texture tingle on her fingertips. She could feel the small, crooked carving she created the last time she visited, and was relieved to find that she was on the right trail. Her frequent visits to the forest inspired her to create a sort of trail for her, to ensure she didn’t waste too much time navigating her way back to her bedroom. It was simple, but an effective strategy nonetheless.

A heavy sigh left her parted lips, and she soon dropped her body against the trunk of the nearby tree. Her hands were brought to grasp her face, and within moments, she could feel the wet tears escaping from her crystalline eyes. She hated to feel herself cry like this, to embrace the tears spilling out of her like a waterfall. It was a sign of weakness and she knew that, but she couldn’t stop it, either. _Shadow Weaver would be disappointed in you,_ she thought to herself bitterly, but that only made her angry.

With a frustrated yell, Adora swung her clenched fist against the forest floor, crushing the patch of grass beneath her hands. Scratched emerged on her knuckles when she made contact, prompting a shudder from her as soon as she felt the minor wound hit the night air. That was more like it. _Shadow Weaver isn’t here anymore. I don’t give a shit what she thinks._ Shortly after her small, violent outburst, she could feel herself coming back together, and began wiping her face as cleanly as she could manage.

The blonde staggered her feet, adjusting the sharp sword on her back before preparing to leave, but a strange sound behind her grasped her attention almost immediately. It was an odd mixture of an animalistic groan and hiss, something Adora couldn’t recall hearing ever before in her life. “Uhm. . . hello?” she called out hesitantly, her posture stiff with caution. She drew her sword and pushed flora out of her path, attempting to track down where she just heard the drawl.

The Whispering Woods wasn’t helping her feel any less on edge, anymore. The quiet creaking of the night and the potential moving of the ever-growing trees was only the beginning, but the increasing feeling of her being watched made her shoulders stiff with agitation. Something was out there.

It didn’t take her much longer to find the source of the noise. She came upon a small section of the Whispering Woods that was dimly lit by the silver moon, with crushed down plants surrounding the body of something small. . . and _furry_. The princess kneeled onto her knees, gently turning the body over to see it more clearly. It was something new, but familiar to her all the same. Light brown and tan fur. . . dark and tall ears, littered with delicate, dark stripes, with stringy whiskers stretching from the area above its lips. . .

“Catra?” Adora gasped in disbelief, panic spreading over her in seconds. Without hesitation, she drew the small, furred body closer to her with gentle arms, investigating it thoroughly. Her fingertips pressed against its soft stomach, and came back stained with crimson blood. _She must’ve been attacked by something in the Woods. . . after the Horde did something to her!_ she concluded, cradling her alleged friend and hooking the sword in its place on her back. “Don’t worry, Catra. Everything’s going to be okay.”

The woods seemed to be much smaller on her way back to Bright Moon. She returned to her bedroom with light and quick steps, smoothly slipping in back through her window. Beside her rectangular bed was a makeshift stool, padded with extra pillows and a soft, purple blanket draped on the top. Adora lifted Catra’s strange new body gently, tucking it into the cushions and making her as comfortable as possible. “Please be okay,” she whispered hoarsely, pressing a wet towel to the wound on her stomach. Her other hand was stroking one side of the creature’s face, massaging the back of one dark ear, just the way her friend used to like it when she was still in the Horde.

This show of affection earned her a quiet _mrrow_, and a prickly pink tongue lapped the nursing hand weakly. Adora’s face relaxed at this, and she pressed her forehead against the cat’s own with a weak shake of her shoulders. Even though they were at opposite sides of the war, and Catra’s struggles brought so much pain to Etheria. . . she couldn’t deny her ex-friend the love and treatment she wanted to give so badly.

“I’ll take care of you, just like you did for me back in the Fright Zone,” she whispered to her quietly, pressing her hand against the cat’s head and rubbing it affectionately-- relishing in the rumbling purrs that left its body. “You’ll be better in no time, okay? Just rest for now.”

. . .

Three years ago, in the training barracks of the Fright Zone.

Something was brushing against her cheek. Something soft.

But she didn’t feel like getting up, so Adora turned her body with a groan tumbling from her lips. It felt much better to get some sleep before the next day’s training session. But the touch didn’t stop. Instead, something furry was being swept against her nostrils, prompting her to cringe in an attempt to hold back a sneeze. “_Adora_,” she heard quietly.

The distant sounds of heavy machinery in the Fright Zone nearly drowned out the quiet voice of the speaker, but her trained ears could pick up her name any day. It didn’t take her long to recognize the voice, and she covered her ears with a groan, hoping that would keep the girl at bay.

Adora didn’t feel like playing games. The uncomfortable pain in her neck and arm tugged at her subconscious, and she was becoming more and more frustrated with every passing minute. She only had a few more hours to attempt to sleep, and now that [i]someone[/i] was bothering her, she found the chances of her getting rest become slimmer and slimmer.

“Adora!”

Her crystalline blue eyes slid open slightly, and above her, she could barely make out her friend’s outline in the dark lighting. “_What_, Catra?” she responded gruffly, bringing up her cold hands to rub against her face. Her touch brushed against her tail, and she assumed it was the one responsible for coaxing a near-sneeze from her. “Catra, it’s too early for this. We don’t have to get up until later.”

“I know, I know,” the feline mumbled quietly, but she still didn’t move from her straddling position. “But I wanted to, uh. . . make sure you were okay. You were moving a bit when you were trying to sleep, and I know you’re still hurting from Shadow Weaver. So don’t even try to lie to me.”

Adora stiffened at the sound of their superior’s name, and she turned away from Catra’s shiny, discolored eyes. She knew her friend could see her more clearly in the darkness, and she didn’t want her to see her so vulnerable, even after all the time they spent together. But, contrary to what she expected, gentle hands cradled her cheek, caressing her pale skin with affection.

“Adora,” she repeated, settling in the area of the bed beside her. The doting warmth in her voice nearly brought tears to her eyes, but she still didn’t turn to face her. “Adora, it’s okay. We promised we would look after each other.”

Her gentle words stirred something within the blonde’s chest, and she could feel a soft flush fill her cheeks with warmth. She allowed her muscles to relax, and pressed her back to align closely with Catra’s front. Her clawed hand reached from behind her to brush against her stomach, and rose higher to grasp Adora’s own.

Her claws drew light circles in her palm, provoking dainty giggles from the girl’s lips. How could something capable of so much damage be so gentle? _Because it’s Catra_, she thought to herself with a smile. Adora returned the gesture by pressing her fingertips against the girls wrist, rubbing her dark skin tenderly.

Long, rumbling purr vibrated from Catra’s throat, and her smooth lips were pressed flush against Adora’s exposed neck. _I love you,_ she wanted to say to her, but she couldn’t yet find the courage within her to do so. So instead, she remained there beside her, feeling the tug of sleep on her subconscious.

“Good night, Adora,” she heard her mumble, the same tired feeling in her voice. She must’ve been able to tell that she was growing exhausted as well. Adora’s lips curved upwards peacefully, and she allowed herself to begin to drift away into the welcoming darkness.

“Good night, Catra. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thank you for reading. This is my first fan fiction in a while, and my first She-ra work at that, so any comments or reviews would be greatly appreciated! <3


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